Access to public restrooms in Venice

There are here and there https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/public_toilets.htm. Never where you need the,. 🙃

We make a point of using the restroom in any museum or restaurant we might visit. Otherwise, stop for a coffee or buy a bottle of water in a bar and use the facility there. We always need coffee mid-to-late morning as well as in the afternoon, and that works out well.

Easiest and usually cleanest is an espresso in a bar and then to the back or downstairs.

Bars open early and close late, are completely different in atmosphere and what they sell to a North American bar.

There are bars in and between practically every campo.

Thanks Laurel and Nigel. Always good to know this info.

There are bars and cafes in Venice that do not have a toilette, just saying.

When I was there, I googled WC availability in the area that I was visiting each day, just in case. The museums are handy.

Many cafes do not have any facilities, so check before you buy a coffee.

When we were in Venice this past summer we used the wc in the Hard Rock Cafe. It was so crowded no one knew if you were drinking or not. PS, we ended up having a fruity cocktail at the bar because the a/c was so wonderfully cold.

Restrooms "wandering around on foot in Venice"--that could be a challenge, it's different from here.
Museums are sometimes well worth it just so you can use a decent restroom.

I found this great forum info string on toilets / WC's in Venice (and other places): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/restroom-questions

Welcome back Kent!!!!

Long time no read.... Nice to see old faces around....

Hi Nigel, it's good to be back (long boring story about that). :-)

We make a point of using the restroom in any museum or restaurant we
might visit. Otherwise, stop for a coffee or buy a bottle of water in
a bar and use the facility there.

This has been our strategy as well in Italy! It's much easier than trying to track down a public facility, doesn't cost THAT much, and the facilities are usually reasonably clean although don't expect toilet seats and/or soap at all of them. A coffee (or beer) stop is also a welcome opportunity to rest tired tootsies! :O)

Some of the museums place their facilities behind ticketed entry points so you can't access them without being a paid visitor.

It seems to me that its no different than it is here in the US. Facilities in privately owned businesses, restaurants and bars are meant for patrons. Yes, you can use them if you're polite about it, but I've seen tourists just march in and out of cafes, expecting to have open access to them. Public to me means a facility in a public space, like a train station or park.

One of the things that sold my husband on using Rick Steves guidebooks was the museum maps specifically identifying restrooms.

The city publishes a map with all public toilets (see link below). They generally cost 1.50€ to use.

However, as mentioned above, the best strategy is to use one at a coffee bar. Just stop for a quick rest, buy an espresso or glass of sparkling water or a beer, use their facilities and go in. As you can see on the map below, there are less than a dozen public restroom facilities throughout the city, so no guarantee one is nearby when you need it.

https://live.comune.venezia.it/it/article/un-utile-servizio-toilettes-pubbliche-venezia